Convicted sex offender jailed for failing to keep in touch with police

In 2015, Callum MacGregor was put behind bars for sexually assaulting a child and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he was given a suspended sentence for breaching the order in 2020 and he has now been put behind bars for failing to contact officers when he was due to in March.

Judge Robert Spragg told him: "On the 7th of July 2017 you were released on licence. On the 17th of November 2019 were recalled having failed to keep appointments.

"On the 17th of February, 2021, for two counts of failing to comply with notification requirements and two counts of breach of your sexual harm prevention order, you were sentenced for eight months suspended for 18.

"That involved you having moved to Telford without telling anyone and you lived with a woman who had children.

"Initially you complied with the order.

"However, on the 21st of March, 2022, due to non-compliance, you then failed to re-establish contact. You didn't speak to the probation service until after your arrest.

"You were due to attend the police station but you failed to do so."

The 25-year-old, of Claremont Terrace, Sunderland, admitted failing to comply with his notification requirements and breaching his suspended sentence.

Shaun Routledge, mitigating, told the court that MacGregor had complied with the orders of his original suspended sentence order.

He said: "In September of 2020 he told them he had a new phone and was expecting, as a consequence of that, to be signing on in July or September of 2022.

"The police realised that he hadn't registered and went to his address and there he was. In interview he said he hadn't realised.

"Up until earlier this year he had done 77 hours of the 100. He had attended the rehabilitation activity requirements and the curfew was completed in its entirety."

The court heard that MacGregor had also taken up work for his landlord, helping out with house renovations.

Mr Routledge added: "He's still a very young individual and this breach, in my respectful submission, goes nowhere near the breach that led to this suspended sentence order which three quarters he seems to have completed."

However, the judge said: "I've listened carefully to what's been said on your behalf.

"In my judgement, only immediate custody is appropriate."

He sentenced MacGregor to ten months in prison.